the pentagon was sending generals over every few months for reports, and those reports were really not very good. they weren't accurate. they were advising stepped-up military presence, which turned out not to be the right answer. his political reports weren't great either. and then his new ambassador, who was his friend and also his former political rival, henry cabot lodge -- >> a republican. >> -- a republican whom he defeated in 1952 for senate was very involved in activity that was latent before he got there to work toward a new regime. >> let's listen to this. one the interesting things for me was hearing the fact that george ball was for the coup, who turned out to be the undersecretary of state, and lyndon johnson was against the war. >>exactly. >> it's a minute and 38. >> on november 4, 1963. over the weekend the coup in saigon took place. culminated three months of conversation about a coup, comma, a conversation that's divided the government here and in saigon. opposed to the coup was general taylor, the attorney general, secretary mcnamara, to a somewhat less degree, john m